As Motown continues to roll out celebrations of its 60th anniversary, it’s extremely curious who doesn’t get attention for their hard work and extraordinary talents getting the label underway. There’s plenty of names that get lost today behind the glittering legacy of Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and the mourning of Marvin Gaye. Indeed if it…
Tag: Shorty Long
A Dancing Holiday: Toe Tapping Tunes That Avoid The Christmas Crush
If you’re anything like me, all you need really is one spin of Christmas Music to be completely over it. Don’t get me wrong, one of my earliest mixes dealt with the Christmas Conundrum, getting past Phil Spector’s dominance with a variety of vintage seasonal gems not always beholden to Christmas. Listening to the same…
Heaven Must Have Sent You: Your Holland-Dozier-Holland History Lesson
I’ve been prone to these songwriter series playlists moreso. This time we make a visit to our first team. While Burt Bacharach’s mix featured him not exclusively tethered to Hal David, and Sylvia Moy found herself working with a round robin of partners, this one solely focuses on Holland-Dozier-Holland. Brothers Eddie and Brian Holland and…
Sylvia’s Work: Sister Soul Songwriter Standing In The Shadows of Motown 1964-1975
The music industry isn’t a kind place to women. Even now, there’s more hurdles that keep women mostly out of control of their artistic output rather than giving them the full creative reign of their male counterparts. The situation is more heightened for Women of Color, especially Black women. Often, and yet still, you are…
Once You Hit The Road: 35 Time Traveling Turnpike and Track Tunes
It’s getting to be that season where we all start making our travel plans. We all seem to set our sights a-far as the days get longer and the unofficial start of summer looms near Memorial Day. We’re all looking for those last minute deals on plane tickets and packages and wondering what does it…
Man Crushes and Masturbatory Materials: 36 + Faces of Sixties Soul
I do realize when I pull together these mixes that aren’t themed around Astrology, CIS-gendered vintage men kinda get the short end of the stick. It comes from my place that in the terms of music history, women in general don’t get anywhere near the equal coverage in their monumental role in shaping our pop…
Magic Brews and Spells For You: Halloween Harmonies Volume 1
I heard the clarion call for frightening soul when fellow DJ Miss Yes complained that she was already maxed out on “The Monster Mash.” Although there’s really plenty of Halloween specific songs to go around, there’s plenty of dark, thrilling and noir songs to go around for this season that thins the veils and gets…